The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-04-02
INTELLIGENT POLLY.
n Extra ordinary ssgacity and hemark
able Memory II u Pet Parrot.

- <Alu~s
able Memory II u Pet Parrot.
Polly was happy in his home. but he
finally became too sociable for MIR.
Crick's use, and this was the cause OF
his sale and my becoming his master,
friend-his last owner. His obtrusive
sociability consisted in eating from the
baby's hand. One day the baby was
eating candy. Polly wanted some Of
mat candy. so he just walked up to
where baby was sitting at the door and
took the candy and part of the thumb
from baby's hand. When baby cried
he broke out in a fit Of laughing,
which novel concert brought the fami-
ly to the scene, and from that moment
il was resolved. finally and irrevocably,
that '.Polly must 60" He was at
once deprived of his liberty by being
put into his cage and transported to
Lancaster, five miles distant, to be
sold. He was kept in a basement res
taurant, where l for the first time saw
him, loved him and bought him. .
A large volume might be written OF
more than twenty years experience
with this wonderful creature; of the
excursions we made together through
the surrounding country: Of u trips
to various large cities in Pennsylvania;
of his tricks in gymnastics; Of his ac-
compartment when l whistled ''Sweet
Homc;" Of his gathering up from the
floor a number of coins, carefully
bringing them to me in a perfect roll
and placing them in my hand; of his
ringing a bell, carrying a little bucket
Of water, bringing my hat, my hand
kerchief or my purse, when told to do
so, and of a number of other equally
wonderful feats indicating extraor-
binary sagacity, if not reasoning
powers. But ! will content myself
with giving one remarkable episode
in his carecr which l think most aston
ishing of all, and one in which I, for
one. found great difficulty in fixing the
line where 'nnimal instinct" ceases
and reasoning faculties begun.
In 1876 l left for Europe. and, expect
ing to stay for several years, bethought
me as to what disposition to make of
my pet during my absence. l%toccurred
to me that the safest place would be
the geological Gardens at Philadelphia,
and there, accordingly, left him. After
;hree years and three months absence,
called at the Zoo and requested the
superintendent Mr.. Brown, to accom-
pany me to the bird house. telling him
that l proposed to put Polly to a test as
to the retentiveness of his memory.
Mr.. Brown ch~cerfully complied, and we
we're witnesses of one Of the most re-
markable instances of animal sagacity
IN record. Twill quote from an article
in a Philadelphia paper, which APP
peared a few days later, and was writ
ten by one of the reporters after an in
terview with the superintendent. He
says: ION entering the bird house
Mr., Sprenger took his station on the
opposite side Of the building from that
occupied by Polly, where the bird could
not see him, and then exclaimed,
Where's my Polly?" Immediately
the bird recognized the voice of his
former master, became excited, walk
ing back and forth on his perch, show.
ed as best he could, by voice and gest-
urc, that he wished to answer the
question by saying, Here am H. 1t
was a clear case of instant recognition.
Then Mr.. ~Sprenger went to his pet,
and the scene is described by Mr..
Brown as the reunion of a parent and q
child. The atfectionate creature ran
his bill through his old masters NOUS
tache in the attempt to kiss him, rubbed
his head against his cheek, then kissed
him again and nestled close to his old
friend, as though he feared he might
lose him again. Then Mr.. Sprenger
tested him in some of his old tracks to
prove his memory, and they were per-
formed with as much readiness as in
former days. "Polly, l have lost my
pocket-book,' said his old friend, after
dropped it. Then Polly went
in search of it, and soon brought it in
his bill, and having deposited it in his
friends hand, expressed his Joy in a
laugh. On Mr.. Sprengcr's
his leave of him. he was almost
with grief, and it was only with
difficulty that his keeper prevented him
from following the master he so affec.